The 20 best innovations of 2020

With the Adaptive Gaming Kit, Microsoft and Logitech have created a more inclusive gaming experience. The companies have adapted typical gaming controllers, which can often be more difficult to use for people living with a disability. The kit can be customised to meet the needs of the user, providing a more accessible and enjoyable gaming and entertainment experience for all.

After Barry Dean’s daughter’s wheelchair dangerously tipped over and she was injured as a result, Dean designed LUCI. LUCI is a power-chair accessory that uses sensors to detect safe routes, adjusting the chair’s movements to protect the user from harm.

The Beewise Beehome is a man-made beehive manufactured using precision robotics, computer vision and AI that closely monitors the hive and insects to protect them from disease, pesticides and climate change.

Virti is a platform that uses XR, artificial intelligence and gamification to train doctors and surgeons on how to respond in high-stress and emergency situations. This year, Virti released their COVID-19 modules that helped frontline workers to understand, for example, how to wear personal protective equipment correctly or ventilate a patient.

ABii is a robot tutor whose mission it is to close the mathematics and reading proficiency gap for children aged five to ten years old. ABii has been designed to work with teachers and parents, uses a camera to detect changes in students’ attention and can adapt lesson plans and tutoring approaches to suit the needs of each  student.

Impossible Pork is a plant-based pork substitute that is made from soy. It was created to help reduce the environmental problems caused by the production of real pork. The pork alternative is said to taste unbelievably real!

BrainBox AI have created an autonomous AI system that uses data such as weather forecasts to monitor buildings’ thermal conditions and appropriately adjust their AC or heating. The technology can help buildings to reduce their carbon footprint by up to as much as 40 per cent.

The PEE POWER® system was developed to convert urine into electricity. The technology works by passing urine through a series of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) where the microbes feed on organic materials found in urine, releasing electrons and generating electricity. Fun fact: the PEE POWER® system has been used to generate some of the power at Glastonbury Festival and now helps to provide electricity for communities in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa!

Xenobots are miniscule robots designed by scientists using living cells from frog embryos. They can repair themselves and are able to carry and absorb materials. The main aim in the development of Xenobots is to enable them to eliminate microplastics from the ocean, detect radioactive waste and help unclog human arteries. 

The Rocketbook Core is a notebook with 36 pages that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. It can also connect to all of your favourite cloud services so that you can securely save and organise your notes while helping to save the planet from deforestation.

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts aim to have a great impact on renewable energy with their device that can generate electricity from moisture in the air both indoors and outdoors, absorbing water vapour in the atmosphere that interacts with protein nanowires to create electricity. They claim their innovation will have a great impact on renewable energy and the future of sustainability. The team has managed to charge smart watches with the technology and look to a future in which wall paint might be able generate enough electricity to power your home!

This lunch box is 100% biodegradable and plastic-free. Made from organic rice husk, the box is easy to clean, greaseproof and leakproof. You can even put it in the dishwasher, microwave and freezer! After many years of use, the lunch box can be disposed of into landfill or your compost bin and it will biodegrade fully within 180 days.

The UK’s first micro-homes made from shipping containers are soon to be built in Aylesbury. Designed for one person, the homes will be equipped with high performance insulated walls, roofs and flooring along with low-energy double-gazed windows – resulting in lower heating bills and lower emissions for people living there. Shipping containers will have renewed purpose saving them from being scrapped.

With the help of funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, 16-year-old Erin Smith was able to develop an AI tool she called FacePrint that can analyse video footage to indicate signs of Parkinson’s. She is now 19, studying computer science at Stanford University and works with the medical school there to develop FacePrint further.

As a teenager, Fionn Ferreira loved the ocean but witnessed first-hand the devastating effect that plastics and pollution can have on this ecosystem. Fionn therefore set about trying to find a solution to the problem. He discovered a method to remove microplastics from the ocean using a magnetic liquid called ferrofluid which sticks to microplastics when added to water. Magnets can then be used to remove ferrofluids along with microplastics from the water. Fionn was the winner of the 2019 Google Science Fair for his amazing work protecting oceans.

14-year-old Gitanjali has already invented multiple impactful solutions to societal problems and crises, so it’s no wonder she was recently named as Time magazine’s first “kid of the year”. Her latest creation is Kindly. Kindly is an app that can spot and prevent cyberbullying in messages. She also teaches “innovation sessions” with the goal to spark student’s passion for STEM and has helped around 20,000 young people.

Xóchitl has grown up in San Cristóbal de las Casas where many people often go without hot water which can result in serious health complications. To combat this, at 8-years-old, Xóchitl designed and built Warm Bath, a water heater that is powered by solar energy and made of readily available recycled items. She was the first child to receive the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Institute of Nuclear Sciences’ Recognition for Women award. Xóchitl is now 11 and is preparing to apply for a patent for Warm Bath.

Shubham was 12-years-old when he invented the first open-source, portable braille printer using LEGO. He founded Braigo Labs Inc. with his partners and received investment to develop a non-LEGO prototype of the printer. Shubham is now studying business and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He has big plans for the printer and his company in the future.

Neil has always been fascinated by technology. At 14, he designed and built a door lock gadget that could differentiate between his face and his brother’s – the bedroom door would only open when it recognised Neil’s face. Since then, he has developed two highly effective apps, PlantumAI uses crowdsourced data to help farmers globally detect, understand and diagnose different crop diseases. His other app is VocalEyes that helps people who are blind or who have difficulties with their vision to “see”. The app is able to audibly describe photos taken on smartphones.

Riya was 14-years-old when she invented the SmartCane for people who are blind. The device can detect wet surfaces and obstacles and vibrates to signal the possibility of danger to the user. The cane has built-in GPS capabilities that can help the user to navigate using vibrations and audio as signals. Riya is now 16, has grown her team to three people and has received more than $83,000 in funding to develop the solution further.

A special mention goes to the winners of the 2019 Longitude Explorer Prize. The team (aged between 15-16) from Greenford High School beat hundreds from across the UK to be named the Longitude Explorer Prize 2020 champions, winning £25,000 for their school with their innovation: a smartwatch app operating as a personal assistant to support us as we grow older. Tomodachi is Japanese for ‘friend’. The app is a smart assistant that acts as a digital companion, a communication bridge with loved ones, an organiser and a cognitive skills trainer.